Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel antibiotic ascofuranone, and processes for its use. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel antibiotic ascofuranone having excellent hypotensive and hypolipidemic activities in mammals for use in the form of a therapeutic composition including ascofuranone to be applied to mammals including human beings, and a method for using such a composition.
Summary of the Invention
As a result of extensive screenings of various microorganisms in order to obtain new and useful antibiotics, it is found that a novel antibiotic is accumulated in the mycelium of Ascochyta viciae Libert, a phytopathogenic species which is classified into a fungus in the taxonomy when the microorganism is cultured aerobically in a culture medium.
The microorganism used in the present invention is a well known organism and deposited, as a culture collection, with the Agency of Industrial Science & Technology, Fermentation Research Institute, Japan, under deposit number FERM-P 129. The antibiotic of the present invention does not exhibit any appreciable antibacterial and antifungal activities but does show excellent hypotensive and hypolipidemic activities in mammals. This antibiotic was designated as "Ascofuranone" by the inventor of the present invention.
The microorganism, Ascochyta viciae Libert, does not form any spores and grows with thin aerial mycelium on a solid medium and with an abundant small aerial micelium in a liquid medium. The mycelia have a pink-red color.
An object of this invention is to provide a novel antibiotic designated as ascofuranone having excellent hypotensive and hypolipidemic activities.
A another object is to provide a hypotensive therapeutic composition to be applied to mammals including human beings comprising as an effective ingredient ascofuranone in an amount sufficient to exhibit a hypotensive activity and a pharaceutically acceptable carrier and a method for diminishing blood pressure in mammals by administering this composition.
Yet another object is to provide a hypolipidemic therapeutic composition to be applied to mammals including human beings comprising as an effective ingredient ascofuranone in an amount sufficient to exhibit a hypotensive activity and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
Another object is to provide a method for reducing the serum lipid level of mammals by administering ascofuranone.